Attacker drives van into Barcelona crowd; 13 dead, 50 hurtBARCELONA, Spain — A white van jumped up onto a sidewalk and sped down a pedestrian zone Thursday in Barcelona's historic Las Ramblas district, swerving from side to side as it plowed into tourists and residents. Police said 13 people were killed and more than 50 wounded in what they called a terror attack. The afternoon attack in the northeastern Spanish city was the country's deadliest since 2004, when al-Qaida-inspired bombers killed 192 pe...

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By BARRY HATTON and JOSEPH WILSON, Associated PressAssociated Press

Appeals court voids pipeline safety order for ExxonLITTLE ROCK — An appeals court has voided an order that would have required Exxon Mobil to revise its pipeline-safety procedures after a 2013 oil spill in Arkansas. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration issued the order in 2015, and it could have applied to more than 1,000 miles (1,609 kilometers) of the Texas oil and gas company's pipelines. A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on Mo...

$50 million investment in communityPlant Manager Joe Wilson said the decision by ConAgra Foods to expand to the tune of $50 million over four years at the Russellville facility was made easy by the community and its people. "I just got done talking to an individual who told me about his mother's career at ConAgra," Wilson said after Tuesday's announcement at Arkansas Tech University. "It's that passion about the River Valley and the folks who work here. That's one thing that I ...

Can't see the eclipse?LOS ANGELES -- Ronald Dantowitz has been looking forward to Monday's solar eclipse for nearly 40 years. An astronomer who specializes in solar imaging, he's been photographing eclipses for more than three decades, and will be using 14 cameras to capture the Aug. 21 celestial event. The cameras have solar filters to capture the eclipse in its partial phases, along with custom modifications that can photograph the corona and light wavelengths th...

Officers plan holiday drunk driving crackdownOne last blast of summer fun too often turns into death and tragedy caused by drunk drivers traveling across state roads and highways. The Labor Day holiday period is among the most deadly travel periods on Arkansas highways. Beginning Aug. 18 and continuing through Sept. 4, state and local law enforcement officers will be aggressively targeting their patrols in search of drunk drivers. The enforcement plan is part of a nationwide effort desig...

Army Corps issues small craft advisoryFor The Courier LITTLE ROCK -- The Army Corps of Engineers issued a small craft advisory for the Arkansas River from Russellville downstream. During high flows, strong currents and large debris can threaten the safety of pleasure craft. Small craft advisories are issued when flows exceed 70,000 cubic feet per second. Flows at Dardanelle Lock and Dam at Russellville are about 85,000 c.f.s. and cresting. Flows at Murray Lock and Dam at Little Ro...

Federal court: Arkansas can block Planned Parenthood moneyLITTLE ROCK — A federal appeals court panel ruled Wednesday that Arkansas can block Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, two years after the state ended its contract with the group over videos secretly recorded by an anti-abortion group. In a 2-1 ruling, an 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel vacated preliminary injunctions a federal judge issued preventing the state from suspending any Medicaid payments for services rendered to patient...

Obituary: Frank EvinsDARDANELLE — Frank Carl Evins Sr., age 61, of Atkins died Sunday, Aug. 13, 2017, at his home. He was born June 12, 1956, at Denton, Texas, to the late Oliver Raymond and Cathon Laedra Ellis Calhoun. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 341 and was preceded in death by his parents. Survivors include his wife, Renee Evins; two children, Frank Evins Jr. and Phillip Evins and wife Jessica; and one grandson, Zachary Evins. A family conducted me...

Obituary: Thomas HejnaDARDANELLE — Thomas Hejna, M.D., age 83, of Dardanelle died Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, at Arkansas Hospice River Valley Home in Russellville. A complete obituary will be published in a future edition of The Courier at a later date. Arrangements are by Cornwell Funeral Home and River Valley Cremations in Dardanelle. Online guestbook and condolences at www.cornwellfuneralhomes.com.

Obituary: Robert SquyresRobert Squyres, age 80, of Russellville completed his long journey home on Monday, Aug. 14, 2017, at St. Vincent’s Infirmary in Little Rock. He was born on Aug. 12, 1937, in Alexandria, La., to Benny and Ethel Squyres. Robert met Ann over a game of Canasta at the Wesley Foundation Youth Center at Louisiana Tech, and they were married on Dec. 29, 1961. Robert received his Bachelors of Science from Louisiana Tech in 1961 and was a member of Kapp...

Obituary: John GastonSPRINGDALE — Dr. John David Gaston of Fayetteville passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 15, 2017. He was born on Dec. 27, 1956, in Russellville, a son of the late James Mack Gaston and Martha Laverne (Jones) Gaston. He served in the United States Air Force in Pararescue and in the Army as a physician. He owned and operated his own clinic, Simply Family Medicine in Fayetteville, which served uninsured patients throughout Northwest Arkansas. He was an a...

RSD gets roof update, changesThe Russellville School Board discussed the indoor practice facility, heard an update on the middle school roof and approved personnel changes during its regular meeting Tuesday night. Chad Weisler with Van Horn Construction informed board members the Russellville Middle School roofing project was completed and expected to be under budget anywhere from $200,000-$240,000, once invoices were finalized. The project was originally contracted at a ...

More than 2,000 traveled up the mountainDARDANELLE — Moving the annual Mount Nebo Chicken Fry back up the mountain from the Arkansas River, where it’s been the past several years, proved to be successful with an estimate of well over 2,000 attendees. Stacey Daughtrey, Dardanelle Area Chamber of Commerce executive director, attributed the rise in attendance this year to the move of the festival. “It was a great turnout,” Daughtrey said. “There were 908 chicken dinners served. Tyson r...

First West Nile virus cases of 2017 identified in ArkansastLITTLE ROCK — Health officials say two cases of West Nile virus were identified last week in Arkansas, marking the first time this year that the illness has been confirmed in the state. The Arkansas Department of Health says most people are infected with the virus from June through September, with the number of infections peaking in mid-August. The illness is transmitted to people by infected mosquitoes. Health officials say the best way to pr...

Arkansas panel OKs raising hazard pay at 4 prisonsLITTLE ROCK— Arkansas lawmakers have given initial approval to raising hazard pay for hundreds of officers and employees at four state prisons. A legislative subcommittee on Tuesday approved raising the hazard pay at the Cummins, East Arkansas, Varner and Varner Supermax facilities from 6 percent to 10 percent. The panel also approved raising the additional hazardous duty pay that some employees receive for working in those facilities' highest...

Arkansas launches new website for technology jobsLITTLE ROCK— Arkansas is launching a new website to help job seekers find positions in the technology sector in the state. Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday announced the start of www.artechjobs.com as part of an effort to increase the number of Arkansans in high-tech fields. The site will help connect employers and tech works in a number of industries, including information technology, health care, software development and web development. There...

Sen. Boozman recovering after follow-up heart surgeryLITTLE ROCK — U.S. Sen. John Boozman's office says the Arkansas Republican has successfully undergone a follow-up procedure to his 2014 heart surgery. The senator underwent the procedure Tuesday and is recovering at a Washington-area hospital. His office says he is looking forward to returning to work when the Senate reconvenes next month. Boozman's office says the procedure had been recommended by doctors who have been monitoring his conditio...

New pay plan for Arkansas workers to cost up to $60 millionLITTLE ROCK — A new pay plan for about 25,000 state employees in Arkansas is estimated to cost between $57 million and $60 million a year. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that some agency administrators, registered nurses, information-technology employees and various entry-level workers will be among the biggest beneficiaries of the overhaul of state government's pay plan. Gov. Asa Hutchinson says the plan will provide a salary increase ...